Saturday 16 February 2008

Consolidated Lisbon Treaty Update

People continue to arrive at this blog looking for a consolidated version of the Treaty of Lisbon.

The last update of the list of consolidated language versions is not that old, published 8 February 2008. But since then a few kind souls have told us about new consolidations, and I have been able to take a look at some complementary sources. Therefore, the time for an update has come.

Let us remember that the European Union has 23 treaty and official languages. The intergovernmental conference itself professed its belief in linguistic diversity, and encouraged the translation of the treaties into regional and minority languages by the member state governments.

As far as I know, with the exception of a leaked French version from the European Parliament, none of the consolidations has been produced by the EU institutions, and only one directly by a government. The rest have been compiled by parliaments, think-tanks, NGOs and private citizens.

The nine or ten languages with consolidated versions published to date cover only parts of our community of 490 million citizens.

Here is an updated list of the language versions found this far (almost all in pdf format), with the languages mentioned in alphabetical order in English:


Danish

The EU information of the Danish parliament communicates actively. Some information is available in English, too. The consolidated Lisbon Treaty is an update.

Folketingets EU-Oplysning: Sammenskrevet udgave af udkastet til Lissabon-traktaten og det gaeldande traktatunderlag; Bind 1 Traktater, Bind 2 Protokoller og erklaeringer;
http://www.eu-oplysningen.dk/emner/reformtraktat/reform/sammenskrevet/


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Dutch

The DJ Nozem blog pointed me towards this new consolidation in Word format, compiled by René Barents and posted on the web site of the daily NRC Handelsblad.

René Barents: Geconsolideerde teksten van het Verdrag betreffende de Europese Unie en het Verdrag betreffende de werking van de Europese Unie zoals gewijzigd door het Verdrag van Lissabon
http://www.nrc.nl/redactie/Europa/verdraglissabon_barents.doc

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English

IIEA

Peadar ó Broin at the Institute of International and European Affairs (Dublin, Ireland) has produced a complete updated consolidation of the amended treaties, including the protocols and annexes, in a format easy to read (pdf).

Treaty on European Union
Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union
Annexes to the EU and FEU Treaties
Protocols to the EU and FEU Treaties and, where appropriate, to the EAEC Treaty

Go to http://www.iiea.com


Statewatch

Professor Steve Peers has painstakingly compiled an annotated version consisting of several files for the Statewatch Observatory on the EU Constitution and the Reform Treaty, where similarities and differences between the different reform stages are highlighted. Informative, if you know what you are looking for.

Go to http://www.statewatch.org


FCO

The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office published a complete consolidated version of the Treaty of Lisbon. The ratification debate in the House of Commons is ongoing.

The FCO web pages on Britain in the EU contain both general information on the Reform Treaty and answers on specific questions in addition to the consolidation I just mentioned. For the consolidated version of the Lisbon Treaty, see Command Paper 7310 ‘Consolidated texts of the EU Treaties as amended by the Treaty of Lisbon’:

http://www.fco.gov.uk/Files/kfile/FCO_PDF_CM7310_ConsolidatedTreaties.pdf

The FCO also published Command Paper 7311 ‘A comparative table of the current EC and EU Treaties as amended by the treaty of Lisbon’, which briefly sets out the similarities and differences between the Lisbon Treaty and the other relevant Treaties article by article. Available through the Official Documents web page (as is Cm 7310 mentioned above):

http://www.official-documents.gov.uk/


Markus Walther

Markus Walther, a German student from Leipzig, who produced and published a German consolidated version of the EU Treaty of Lisbon on his web site, posted an English readable consolidated version as well (a preliminary document without protocols and charter).

Go to http://www.mwalther.net/europa/eulaw-lisbon-mwalther.pdf


Open Europe

Open Europe produced a consolidated version with the Treaty of Lisbon and the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe presented side by side for convenient comparison.

Open Europe: The Lisbon Treaty and the European Constitution: A side-by-side comparison; January 2008;

http://www.openeurope.org.uk/research/comparative.pdf


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Finnish

Europe Information, of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, has promised a consolidated version during the spring.

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French

Europa-EU-Audience

The bilingual web site en.europa-eu-audience found two unofficial parallel versions of the amending treaties in French, side by side with the current ones:

http://europa-eu-audience.typepad.com/fr/files/EP_TCE_versus_TFU_Final.doc

http://europa-eu-audience.typepad.com/fr/files/EP_TUE_versus_TUE_final.doc


Assemblée nationale

Assemblée nationale : Rapport d’information sur les modifications apportées par le traité de Lisbonne au traité sur l’Union européenne et au traité instituant la Communauté européenne, par M. Axel Poniatowski ; No 439, 28 novembre 2007 ;

http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/13/pdf/rap-info/i0439.pdf


Later, the French National Assembly has presented a consolidated version of the Treaty of Lisbon side by side with the current treaties. Look for Assemblée Nationale: Rapport d’information déposé par la Délégation de l’Assemblée Nationale pour l’Union Européenne, sur le traité de Lisbonne ; No 562, Tome 2, 8 janvier 2008 :

http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/13/dossiers/traite_lisbonne_due_information.asp


Jean-Luc Sauron

Jean-Luc Sauron: Comprendre le Traité de Lisbonne – Texte consolidé intégral des traités – Explications et commentaires ; Gualino éditeur, Paris 2008 ; 351 p. (Prix 20 €)

The book (pages 141 – 351) contains, in a handy format, consolidated versions of the amended Treaty on European Union, the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, the Charter of Fundamental Rights and the Explanations relating to it as well as a modest Index.

In principle, the Treaty texts are based on a version from 30 October 2007, but footnotes take later modifications into account.


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German

Markus Walther

Markus Walther: Das Primärrecht der Europäischen Union; Endfassung, Stand 18. Dezember 2007; (updated after signing)
http://www.mwalther.net/union.html


Klemens H. Fischer

The book “Der Vertrag von Lissabon – Text und Kommentar zum Europäischen Reformvertrag”, by Klemens H. Fischer (Nomos, Stämpfli Verlag and Verlag Österreich) describes the EU reform process and especially the IGC 2007 before it presents consolidated and annotated versions of the TEU and TFEU including protocols and declarations. The accompanying CD-Rom contains background material and three different consolidations of each treaty: with amendments highlighted and footnotes, with amendments highlighted and a neutral consolidated version.


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Hungarian

Two sources reported that the Hungarian government has published a consolidation of the Lisbon Treaty, although was not able to verify it. But I encourage anyone with the linguistic and technical skills to search (and to report back).


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Irish Gaelic

A consolidation in Irish Gaelic has been announced by the Institute of International and European Affairs, Dublin.
Go to http://www.iiea.com

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Portuguese

Peadar ó Broin reported on a version in Portuguese also, prepared by the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs:

http://www.eu2007.pt/NR/rdonlyres/1D96311C-F90D-4E97-B355-DFEA0DD1ABEA/0/TLconsolidado.pdf

Alternatively, you can link to the text via the website for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs:

http://www.mne.gov.pt/

Or you can link via the website for the Portuguese Presidency of 2007:

http://www.eu2007.pt/UE/vPT/Presidencia_Conselho/TratadoLisboa.htm


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Spanish

Real Instituto Elcano offers a complete updated consolidation, with protocols and declarations, in Spanish, compiled by José Martín y Pérez de Nanclares and Mariola Urrea Corres. The former has written an introductory study.

http://www.realinstitutoelcano.org


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Swedish

Sieps – Svenska institutet för europapolitiska studier, the Swedish Institute for European Policy Studies, has published a complete consolidated Swedish language version of the Lisbon Treaty.

Ladda ned Lissabonfördraget - Konsoliderad version av EU:s fördrag (pdf)
Ladda ned Lissabonfördraget – Protokoll mm (pdf)

http://www.sieps.se

The publisher SNS Förlag has announced a handy pocket version of the Treaty of Lisbon in Swedish, to be published 29 February 2008. If the new publication follows the pattern of the previous pocket treaties by SNS, it will contain the bare treaty texts.

http://www.sns.se


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If the number of languages with consolidated versions was seven or eight (Hungarian attested but not verified) last time the list was published, we now know of 9 or 10 official EU languages covered out of 23.

Are there more consolidated versions the citizens of the European Union should be aware of?

I am most grateful, if you want to share your knowledge on the Treaty of Lisbon with me and other EU citizens: consolidated versions as well as books and resources, such as official documents from the member states’ governments and parliaments, scholarly assessments and popular literature, plus information on the ratification processes.


Ralf Grahn

8 comments:

  1. I never seem to read any comments against the EU on this site but here goes:-
    The Lords prayer runs to 56 words.
    God's Ten Commandments are 297 words.
    The Gettysburg Address is 300 words.
    The EU Directive on the export of duck eggs runs to 26,911 words.
    Another reason to leave I think.
    http://www.europeantruth.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
  2. Rayatcov, it is completely up to you how attentively you read my blog and the criticism therein.

    But the point you imply concerning the word count is one I seem to share with Daniel Hannan, who wrote that the US Constitution was his favourite.

    A succinct EU Constitution would be an improvement on the existing treaties and the Lisbon Treaty to be ratified, but one has to make do with what has been given, if one wants to present and explain the EU at its current stage of development.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Since yesterday, a complete Dutch version is available at www.minbuza.nl/verdragen

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous, thank you for your information. I have looked up the consolidated Dutch language version of the Treaty of Lisbon and written a post.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Message about Lisbon treaty:
    Lisbon treaty seems to be totally strange and deleting democracy or human rights?
    http://conservativehome.blogs.com/centreright/2008/01/lisbon-treaty-c.html
    I’ve read an article which states that police gets rights to shoot people in some situations.
    These kind of things are totalitarian politics.
    It also probably stops right to go on strike.
    http://www.no2lisbon.ie/en/press-centre/entry/160
    And all this in whole Europe …
    It is sad to notice that all other countries have accepted this treaty, but many governments have not even given people chance to vote about it.
    Irish government has given you this right,…anyway it is really strange that Ireland maybe votes again about this, and only after few months?(or 2009?)
    EU elite needs this YES, and they have ordered new voting?
    If this is true it shows how horrible secret elite rules EU, and what can we expect from the future?
    Lisbon treaty is basically giving ‘Gestapo’-laws to EU-government, if needed?
    And they seem to need those laws fast?
    Vote NO, and save the world?
    F.ex. in many european countries media and politicians has almost 100% ignored discussions about this subject, and people are not even aware about whole thing?

    It is also good to remember that USA has now similar ‘martial laws’ there, after 11th september 2001… ?
    EU security officials decide about all security matters of whole EU?
    Also there is some things which makes it very difficult for normal people to complain and get things corrected if there is wrongful handlings?
    I hope I am wrong, but this whole thing , and how it has been handled seems really wrong? And it is not a democratic way to handle politics.?
    http://www.europeanfoundation.org/docs/Treaty%20of%20Lisbon.htm
    ps. this writing may include errors.
    -Tore Toivicco

    Now also EU web-cencorship?
    http://www.masternewmedia.org/europe-under-internet-censorship-threat-new-eu-telecom-package/
    Give us back our democracy!

    Besked om Lissabon-traktaten:
    Lissabon-traktaten synes at være helt mærkeligt og sletning af demokrati eller menneskerettigheder?
    http://conservativehome.blogs.com/centreright/2008/01/lisbon-treaty-c.html
    Jeg har læst en artikel, hvori det hedder, at politiet får ret til at skyde folk i nogle situationer.

    Disse slags ting er totalitære politik.
    Det sandsynligvis også stopper ret til at gå i strejke.
    http://www.no2lisbon.ie/en/press-centre/entry/160
    Og alt dette i hele Europa …
    Det er trist at bemærke, at alle andre lande har godkendt denne traktat, men mange regeringer har ikke engang givet folk chancen for at stemme om det.
    Irske regering har givet dig denne ret, … anyway det er virkelig mærkeligt, at Irland måske stemmer igen om dette, og først efter nogle måneder? (Eller 2009?)
    EU-eliten behov denne JA, og de har bestilt nye afstemningssystem?
    Hvis dette er sandt, det viser, hvor forfærdelig hemmelighed elite regler EU, og hvad kan vi forvente af fremtiden?
    Lissabon-traktat er grundlæggende give ‘Gestapo’-lovgivning til EU-regering, hvis det er nødvendigt?
    Og de synes at have behov for disse love hurtigt?

    Stemme nej, og redde verden?
    Eksempel i mange europæiske lande, medier og politikere har næsten 100% ignoreres diskussioner om dette emne, og folk ikke engang er klar over alt?
    Det er også godt at huske på, at USA nu har lignende ‘martial love’ der, efter den 11 september 2001 …?
    EU sikringsmedarbejdere beslutte om alle sikkerhedsspørgsmål i hele EU?
    Der er også nogle ting, som gør det meget vanskeligt for almindelige mennesker til at klage og få tingene korrigeret, hvis der er ulovlig handlings?
    Jeg håber, jeg tager fejl, men det hele, og hvordan den er blevet håndteret synes virkelig galt? Og det er ikke en demokratisk måde at håndtere politik.?
    http://www.europeanfoundation.org/docs/Treaty% 20of% 20Lisbon.htm
    ps. denne skriftligt kan indeholde fejl.
    -Tore Toivicco

    Kan det blive mere fascistisk?
    Nu også EU web-cencorship?
    http://www.masternewmedia.org/europe-under-internet-censorship-threat-new-eu-telecom-package/
    Giv os vores demokrati tilbage!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous,

    Your basic argument seems to be a "conspiracy" by EU elites.

    The Lisbon Treaty has been agreed by 27 national governments and approved by 26 national parliaments.

    The rest of your arguments look as fallacious as your basic allegation.

    ReplyDelete
  7. His basic argument is spot on.
    They never wanted any debate, in fact policy was muddying the waters as only possible.
    http://conservativehome.blogs.com/centreright/2009/09/no-real-debate-about-the-lisbon-treaty-could-happen-this-was-a-deliberate-decision.html

    This is neo-feudalism, and we say NO to it
    http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4291770489472554607

    ReplyDelete
  8. Cap Mtifou,

    It is unclear what you find clear, but the basic situation regarding the blog post has changed:

    The national leaders of the EU member states made us wait, which was a stupid decision.

    The consolidated version of the Treaty of Lisbon was published, after a frustrating wait, in all the official languages of the European Union in the Official Journal 9 May 2008 C 115, although you can find the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights in the Official Journal of 14 December 2007 C 303 (no need for consolidating there).

    ReplyDelete

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